Broadway Musicals in Chicago for 2009 & 2010
Chicago's Thriving Theatre Scene Hosts Top Musical Comedies
Oct 6, 2009
Over the past decade, Chicago has seen a theatre renaissance that has made it one of the top theatre cities in North America, along with New York and Toronto. It began with the restoration in the late 1990s of some of the city’s venerable Vaudeville theatres, which are now attracting big audiences to major musical productions. Here’s a look at the Broadway-style musicals playing in Chicago over the 2009-2010 season.
Cadillac Palace Theatre
Opened in 1926, the Palace had seen performers like Jimmy Durante, Mae West, Bob Hope and Carol Channing in its heyday, but by the mid-1970s it had become a banquet hall, then a rock concert venue. Renovated in 1999 and renamed, the theatre has hosted long runs of such shows as The Producers, The Lion King, The Color Purple and Dirty Dancing. The 2009-2010 season is a busy one.
- November 3 to December 13: Young Frankenstein
- December 15, 2009 to January 3: In The Heights
- January 19 to 31: Dreamgirls
- February 16 to 28: The 101 Dalmatians Musical
- March 2 to 7: An Evening With Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin
- July 13 to September 5: Shrek the Musical
Bank of America Theatre
Originally named the Majestic Theatre and, later, the LaSalle Bank Theatre, the building now known as the Bank of America Theatre dates from 1906 and was once Chicago's tallest building. Harry Houdini was among the big-name acts that played there, but it was closed from the early ‘30s until 1945, when it hosted big Broadway shows like South Pacific and Guys and Dolls. It’s currently home to the hugely popular production of Jersey Boys, the musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, which is booking tickets until at least January 10, 2010.
Ford Center for the Performing Arts / Oriental Theatre
Another Vaudeville house that hosted the likes of Judy Garland, Al Jolson, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Cab Calloway and Fanny Brice, the opulently-decorated Oriental Theatre was closed in the early ‘80s, In 1997 it was renamed the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, and the following year it opened with a production of Ragtime. From November 13 to January 10, the theatre hosts The Addams Family. On March 18, Billy Elliot the Musical is scheduled to open.
Other Chicago Musical Venues
Originally opened in 1889, the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University is renowned for its architecture and acoustics. From January 19 to 24, it sees a production of Annie. On November 24, South Pacific opens at the lavish contemporary Rosemont Theater, with Mamma Mia! to follow from January 19 to 24. From March 23 to April 4, Beauty and the Beast is scheduled to make a visit to Chicago, but the venue has not yet been announced.
To find out more about Chicago musical theatre productions, visit Theatre in Chicago or Broadway in Chicago. Read on to find out about current Broadway musicals in New York and Toronto.
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